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Birth and Early Life:
Gerald Stetzer was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, around the year 1922. He was raised on a farm by his parents, Wilbur and Blanche Stetzer.
Enlistment and Boot Camp:
Stetzer enlisted on December 16, 1941, and attended boot camp at MCRD San Diego. Upon completing his training, he was assigned to Company D, !st Battalion, 2nd Marines.
Wartime Service:
Stetzer probably received additional training in heavy machine guns or mortars; his company was the heavy weapons unit for the battalion. His regiment left the United States in mid 1942, and sailed for the Solomon Islands
Date Of Loss:
PFC Stetzer's battalion landed on Florida Island, a small island off the coast of Guadalcanal, on August 7, 1942. They were in support of the invasions of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Guadalcanal itself, and met little if any resistance. Exactly what happened to Stetzer is unknown, but he never left the island. Even his immediate superiors seemed to have little idea of his fate; he was carried on the company's muster rolls until April, 1943, with the notation of sick in hospital until someone came to the realization that he had been killed the previous August. Stetzer was likely the first combat fatality suffered by the regiment during the war.
Next Of Kin:
Father, Mr. Wilbur Stetzer
Status Of Remains:
Unknown.
Memorial:
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Philippines.
